Internal-combustion engine



Sept.' 30, 1930. E, SCHFER 1,776,843

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Fi1ed Apri1 l5, 1928 3 Sheets-Shee 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 30, 1930. E. s'cHFER INTERNAL COHBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 1s. '192e Sept. 30, 1930. E. SCHFER 1,776,843

INTERNAL COlIBUSTIQN EGLNE Filed April 13, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 3G, 1930 MAE SGHEEE, fonnUssELneEE, `c-EEiifmNY, Assmnon 0E oNE-EALFTO EMIL ELEGHTHEIM, or DUSSELDORF., vGERMANY INTEENAL-ooivrnsmioiv ENGINE y Application Yfiieiiiipriiis.,,1923, serial' no.. zai, and "in Germany Februa'y 18,19%; f

,invention relates to an internal comi bustin-engine with the Cylinders disposed i likeQChords, thexpist'onaiittedeach with a driving roller, eecting the'r'evoiution of the ,5.

lyiinders throgh the intermediary of a camtrack.V

.By this invention Va',sii'npl'el construction of internal combustion-engineVV isI obtained Y whieh is easy ofaecess and in which all eley ments are Very practically. arranged and in which the dimensions arev so favorably se-'7,

leeted that maximum eiiic'ieney and reliability are obtained as weil as minimumA i weight.

rI he novel feature eo'nsistsin that the eylin deis together with the positively 'guided y pistons are a@cominodated; in palirs'in4 a Vrotor of limited dimensions, the admission. andeX- hajust being controlled by a single valve' which is cooled bythe iniowing ges-miiture, the admission and .exhaust-ports of said valve beingsealed appronimatly free from' frietion. Y .This 'sealing of. the admissina'nd exhaust ports is eiieeted by eonentrie facesV narrowed' to thc-,.wic'itli'ofthe port orby a stationaryoylindrical body of small diam-` Y eter-,which is sealed after themanner of a piston. The pistons arefnositivel'y guided by two rollers and double cams and by driven slidable plates. l

.Several embodiments ofthe invention are f shown,iby way of illustration, in the aco'mipanyingdrawing in which w ing'. for ythe admission and exhaust;

Fig .1 shows an engi-neprovidedY with two( vcylinders ltaken in a'- vertical seetin along lineg-lin Fig-.2.

.Fig 2f is cross-section alongline 2--2 j Fig. 8' is a seetionjal'ongline 3- -3. inV Fig. 2 taken in front of the rotor. u

Igfi-gf 4f is a section through a modification. Fig.V 5 is an en d elevation and u f Fig. 64 aside-elevation showing a fourcylinder engine with bodies `o n the end-face serv- Fig. 7fshows' partly/ inVv elev i y inthejother haltin `section along liner` 7-7-7-#7 in Figri) the inner construction ofthe/engine. f' g f Fig. 8 is a sectionalong lineS--S--S-S i a separate View.`

ation and being shown at the `left endotthe figure in in Fig.' aule admise@ and exhaust-beams.;

Y Fig-..9 is a sectional view, theseetionibeing exhaust-body between tworet'ors.

iSis a section through the lower endV of the piston on aflargerseale. i

y the meer withn l out piston along line`l0`l0 in Fig.` 9i.' v

Fig; ii is a geen@ hongrie. iii-*ii in 1` in acasing l, "composed of several)parts and a cylindricalCross-section, abylindrical rotor 2 is' rotatably'mounted,containing twov cylinders 3 arranged likey chords, the two Cylindersv being so" disposed that "they VCross,

lone another when two pairs" of cylinders are provided.

The rotor 2, togetherwith the engin-shaftfAf'fiXed therein', is eentrally mountdrvvithin the olosed` Cain-track 'oi' casing l and designedto :guide `the pistons Ginoiinted inthe cylinders 3; The "diamete of thertor' 2` is smaller than theiiinei" diameter of. the easing when tliera'm" pbrtions of the ca`.r n`trac'k` project `farthest into the c asing. Each cylinder 3 being closed at one end forin's, togetherwiththe` pistons 6, the

o'inbus'tion Chamber 7. At ther open end of Y eaoh `Cyli'ntiei"*Slain extensin@ is provided which `projets "beyond the y eircumferenee of the rotor' so t-liatthe` corresponding piston will; havea long' stroke tconipletely utilize the `expa'jiisiveieti'e'ctV of the gases in the combustion C.lalfiflberA `7.` The admission of the ezalosive-initur as as the exhaust of the burnt gasesare controlled by `asingle valve lO'perated by an inelinedeam 9, said" i valve `making the combustion-Chamber Communicate 'alternately with the admission port 13 and with the ezihaust port 14 by .means of slots ll and l2respectively.. AVThefvalve is thee'fore alternately epsed' to the action of gases and hotfexhaust gases, so Veach heating, ltheY valveV is cooled tresh cool niet, after agen yi-tette fesait thereby the animation ofthe inici'vving eXbls'ive-'inixture cooling medium the life of valve V is considerably lengthened.

The sealing between the combustion-chamber and the admission and exhaust-ports, the

construction of the admissionand exhaustpassages :and the guiding of the pistons may De accomplished in' dierent ways.`

As shown in Fig. 2 tli'esealingconsists of a -L concentric sliding ring 15, providedY on the rotor 2, whichring isguided tightly packed in a concentric ring-groove A16 secured tothe casing 1; 'Wliilethe sliding ring 15 has only twoy short slots 17 leading to the combustionchainber 7, the ring-groove 16 has two-longer slots 11v and l2 along which the two slots 17 move. With the longV slots 11 and`12 conimunicate the admission and exhaust-ports 13 and14, enlarged towards the middle. As the rotor rotates, the slots 17 Valternately servefor the admission of (gas as theadmissio'nfslot 1l moves past the saine and for the exhaust of the burnt gases, as the exhaustif slot 12 moves, past them. The admission and Vexhaust arev thus successively effected, the valve 1() beingopen, as its cam-roller 18 rolls up on the inclined bar 9. VDuring the compression and explosion, valve 10 is maintained closedas usual by the action of a Vspring 19.v

In the construction shown in Figs. lto 3 ,theignition is effected 'by a spark plug 20 Vwith a'contact 21 on the casing.

projecting, opposite thevalve 10, into the combustion chamber 7 and comingin contact The contact 21, designedv for advanced and retarded ignition, is constructed like a double-contact andcomprises two contacts21a and 21h (Fi g.

*2)r spaced apart a certain 'distance and designed Yto be touched by the ignitionpin of the spark plug 20, current being alternately supplied to said contacts bya contact-lever 23, pivotable around a pivot-pin 22; The' contact`-lever 23 may loe-reversed from the drivers seat in any suitable manner;

ln all the'constructions, except the onek shown in Fig. 4, the cani-track 5 is situated in the direction of the axis of the cylinders. The reciprocating movement of the pistons 6 is controlled by the rollers 24 rolling on the inner edge of the cam-track 5. Their'positivel movement is attained, according to Figs.

1 to 3, by va second cam-'track 25 secured vto vthe casing at the side of the rotor 2, a second roller 27, also mounted onthebolt 26 of the roller 24, running on the outer edge of said cani-track 25. Bolt- 26 slides in a longitudinal in a multicylinder engine as shown in Figs. 4 to 12. Through the openings formed by the removal of these portions 30, all the inner elements of an engine, with the exception of theV rotor, can be removed, so that it to pieces'for replacing one or the other element.

In allv the constructions the cooling ofthe cylindersr3 is effected through the intermediary of the engine-shaft 4 which is hollow,

l with the exception of the portions in the centres of the cylinders which are solid, said hollow shaft communicating, on the one hand through an inlet 31 and on the other hand vthrough an outlet 32, with the cooling spaces 33 of the rotor 2. In an'engine having more than three cylinders 3, as shown in Figs. 5 to 12,' theVK admission and the exhaust of the n gas mixture and of the burnt gases respectively arek preferably effected through the intermediary of admission and' exhaust passages l34 and 35extending in axial direction from one end face of therotor 2, therear Vends of said passages'terminating in th valve chambers-36 andthe front ends terminating radially into a cylindricalcavity 40.

Durino' one rotation of the rotor 2 the radial D mouths of all the passages move successively along a common admission slot 37 and along a common exhaust slot 38, arranged in a stationary cylindrical body 39 and beginning in the end face and terminating in the circumference of said body. The rotor 2 rotates around its own axis and around the axis of the body 39. This body is secured to the casing 1 and gas-tightly mounted in the cylindrical cavities 40, arranged in the end faceof the rotor, by means of packingrings and bars 41 and 42, so that friction is produced onlyV on the packing faces and losses through friction are almost excluded owing to the small diameter of the body 39. By the channels 34, 35 moving along the stationary admission slot 37 and exhaust slot 38 of the body 39, the admission and exhaust for the several pairs of cylinders 43, 44 and so forth, which in four cylinder engines are arranged cross-'wise andin-sixand more cylinders star-shaped around the engine axis.; are successively effected so that, while one cylinder exhaustsithel burnt gases the next following cylinder is charged with fresh gas, and so'forth. While the channels 34 as shown in Figs. 9 and l() terminate at the rear endV in the valve chamber 36 of the first group of cylinders 43, the channels 35 move along the rowof cylinders 43 to the valve chamber 36 of the cylinders 44 of the se'cond group.

' According to Figs. 4 to 10a body 39, toil gether with carburetor 45, effects the admission 'and exhaust from the end face of the rotor 2. As shownV in Figs. 11 and 12 a double lbody 46 together'with a carburetor regulates the admission and exhaust, said is nor longer iiecessar to Vtake the en ine gas-admission and the exhaust'of the burntV gases taking place through main passages 47, a8, at either side of which the admission-slot v 37 and exhaust-slot 38 are arranged. To the main passage 47 the vcarburetor is connected, the passage 48 communicating ywiththe atmosphere. Y

The positive guiding of the `piston G is effected, according to Fig'. d, by slidable plates 5'? which, in the segment ofthe rotor 2 parallel to the cylinder axis, are connected to the piston 5, their two ends 582ml 59 displaced the one withl regard to the other. in the direction ofthe axis of rotation and both constructed to act as `running surfaces mov` ing in two curves 60, 6l arranged one at the side of the other. The slidable plates 57 are located in borings 62 arranged parallel to the cylinders Sand they areeach connected by an arm G3 to the piston 6, said arm sliding in a longitudinal slotv 58. 'Ehe curves 60, (ilV are preferably formed by jrooves ar ranged in the casing l. f

The cam-track 5 for the `pistons 6 is subdivided into four sections which, assliown in 'gs. l to 8, are of unequal length and of unequal curvature or, as shown in Figs. lland lf2, of equal length and similar curvature. By the longer sections an exliaustand suctioirstrolre, longer with regard to the compression and explosion curve is produced, while with the sections of equal length all s rolres are or" the saine length.

rlllie operation of the engine is follows:

After the rot r 2 ias been stWA ed, and the driving roller of one of the pistons 6 has arrived on the point 5a of the cain-tracl1 5, an explosion occurs, through which the rotor 2 is rotated. The corresponding valve l() is closed and opens again only at point 5b of the cam-,track 5 respectively after the expansion power of the burnt gases in the combustion chamber 7 have produced their com-` plete effect. In the following section 5b to 5c the piston is pushed into-the cylinder 3,

`the valve l0 being open, whereby vthe burnt gases are expelled through valve 'l0 and through the exhaust 11i or i6 respectively.

In the section `5C to 5d the piston is moved Y out of the cylinder, the valve l0 being now open, and it consequently sucks in a gasniixture which cools valve 10. The'gas isv compressed in the section 5@ to 5 by the inward movement of the piston, the valve being closed and ignited again at 5a and so forth. vThe other pistons 6 perform in asimilar manner as this piston, whether the engine is a. two-cylinderengine, or a four or more cylinder engine, the working stroke at 5a, whereby a rotating impulse is exerted upon the rotor twice, four or more times, and

the pistons successively effect also the ex-V haust, intake and compressing. Since rotor 2 acts as centrifugal mass, it is not necessary to provide a fly-wheel.

I claim:

l. An internal combustion engine, coin prising anouter casing formed with a camtrack along its inner wall, a shaft journalled in said casing,` a cylindrical vrotor secured to` said shaft and containing cylinder bores tangential relativeto said shaft and disposed in the same plane, a reciprocating piston provided in each of said bores, a roller provided i at the outer end `of each piston and adapted to come in contact with the cam-track of said f casing, a single admission andexhaust valve at the inner end of each cylinder bore, a body located in a central recess of said rot-or and having passages adapted to communicate with ports in said valves `so as to'control the supply of fresh explosive-mixture and the ex haust of the burnt gases, and means insaid casing forroperating said Valves in timed suc# cession.

2. An internal combustion gengine, comprising an outer casing formed with two adjacent cam-tracks along `itsv inner wall,

a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said Y casing, cylinder bores provided in said rotor disposed like chords, 'a positively guided piston in each cylinder bore, a continuous slidable plate in each piston extending along the chord of said rotor parallel to the axis of the cylinder bore and having its Vend in contact with said cam-tracks, a single admission an'd exhaust valve for each cylinder bore arranged to be cooled by the inilowing' explosive mixture and provided .with an admission and exhaust passage, and packings for sealing said passages substantially frictionless.

3. The combination as specilied in claim` In testimony whereof I aifx my signature.

EMANUEL SCHFER. 

